Hospitality industry dynamics encourage creativity and the building of a workplace that, in turn, breeds creativity.
The leading business hotel, located in the heart of Jakarta’s most happening area of Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD), HARRIS Suites fX Sudirman Jakarta offers 144 spacious rooms and suites, with most units overlooking the stunning view of Jakarta’s cityscape, also known by customers as the “New York of Jakarta”. Not only does it have direct walking access to the busy fX Sudirman Mall, but the hotel is also surrounded by a wide range of sports, entertainment, and lifestyle attractions, such as GBK Sports Complex, a golf course, Plaza Senayan, Senayan City, the best and most popular dining venues, and many more. As Senayan is well-known as the center of activities and events on weekdays and weekends, the hotel has become the preferred 4-star property in the area.
With an extensive career as a hotelier with various international chains, Grandi Sumeitro, or Grandi, has been leading the team at Harris Suites, fx Sudirman, since 2017. Here, he shares his views and experiences. “Initially, it was established as an apartment-only property from 2011-2014. As the target market expanded, not only accommodating long-staying customers, in 2017 facilities were upgraded to add a restaurant and function rooms to fulfil the growing needs and requirements of customers. The hotel now boasts a wide range of facilities to ensure guests have memorable and enjoyable stays during business or leisure visits to Jakarta”, said Grandi. “In the pipeline for 2024, we will have another renovation project with the rooms, adding a semi-ballroom with a capacity of up to 500 guests, and a dining outlet with a fresh look, following the corporate brand standard under Ascott”.
The hotel hit its best performance in 2023, with its highest hotel revenues in the history of the hotel. Having survived the pandemic period, making the team stronger and more enthusiastic was essential to recovery. “We have conquered the moments when we run out of ideas, now thinking outside the box, as if there’s no box left. We are hand in hand, taking care of our guests from the oil and mining companies with their needs”, explained Grandi. “So now we are ready to take on any future opportunities that come our way”.
Especially with the return of individual travellers, multinational corporate companies, international sports events, and even international music concerts, the hotel caters equally to each market. “As soon as the Coldplay concert date was announced, room reservations immediately picked up with higher occupancy rates and fully booked in August, even though the concert wasn’t until November! Then, we started 2024 with great hotel revenues generated from the year-end packages, where all room types were sold out with family and young guests celebrating the new year. Even the restaurant was fully seated with 200+ guests. With this growing market of family staycation and social events, the owning company decided to add a semi-ballroom that can fit up to 500 guests, next to the HARRIS Café and meeting rooms on the 5th floor,” explained Grandi. “We are optimistic that 2024 will be another promising year, especially with other business sectors recovering quickly from the pandemic,” he added.
Grandi’s friendly and outgoing personality is in his DNA as a hotel professional and has known the industry since childhood because his father was also a hotelier, yet his first passion was to become a pilot. Ironically, he took his friend to apply for pilot academy, and, vice versa, his friend to him to apply to hotel school. Grandi’s friend was accepted to the pilot academy, while Grandi himself entered hotel school.
Obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Rooms Division Management from Sekolah Tinggi Pariwisata Bandung (NHI, Bandung), he started his career at the Holiday Inn, Bandung. Prior to joining HARRIS Suites fX Sudirman, he was General Manager of Ibis Styles Malang from 2014-2017, Executive Assistant Manager of Mercure Jakarta Kota from 2013-2014, and General Manager (in Mission) for Ibis Budget Menteng and Ibis Budget Cikini in 2014.
